1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an OsMPT gene derived from rice (Oryza sativa) for modifying plant architecture and increasing yield, and uses thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a recombinant plant expression vector including the OsMPT gene, a plant transformed with the recombinant plant expression vector, a process for modifying plant architecture and increasing yield by controlling the cellular level of the gene, a process for producing a plant with modified architecture and a plant with increased yield by transforming a plant with the gene, and a composition including the gene for modifying plant architecture and increasing yield.
2. Background Art
Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important food crop and a primary food source for more than a third of the world population. With the swift growth of rice consumers, higher rice production is required more than ever. Thus, the rice varieties with higher yield potential and yield stability are needed to meet the challenges of increased rice production [Khush 1997, Plant Mol. Biol. 35, 25-34]. The structure of the aerial part of a plant, referred to as plant architecture, has a great influence on production. In fact, tiller angle is an important characteristic for determining plant architecture in rice, i.e., wider tiller angle would increase leaf shade, whereas a narrower tiller angle is favored for dense planting. As such, erect growth (a narrow tiller angle), which allows relatively effective high-yield cultivation, has been targeted and continuously selected by plant breeders. However, to date, the molecular and genetic mechanisms controlling erect growth has remained unknown.
Although plant architecture is influenced by environmental factors, the genetic regulatory mechanisms play an important role in controlling plant architecture. There are genes known to be involved in the direct control of rice tiller angle; PROG1 (PROSTRATE GROWTH 1) encodes a single C2H2 zinc finger protein and prog1 mutants exhibited erect growth, greater grain number and higher grain yield in rice [Tan, et. al., 2008, Nat. Genet. 40, 1360-1364]. Mutation of TAC1 (Tiller Angle Control 1) caused rice plants to show extremely erect tillers and to be able to adapt highly dense cultivation in the field [Yu, et. al., 2007, Plant J. 52, 891-898]. LAZY1, TAC1 and PROG1 are strongly expressed in the leaf sheath pulvinus, tiller base, or laminar joint between leaf blade and leaf sheath.